Unveiling the Biggest Surprises and Disappointments of the 2022-23 NBA Season

As I reflect on the 2022-23 NBA season, I can't help but marvel at how certain narratives unfolded in ways nobody could have predicted. Having covered the league for over a decade, I thought I'd seen everything, but this season delivered some truly remarkable twists that kept us all on the edge of our seats. The Sacramento Kings' stunning transformation from perennial lottery team to legitimate contender stands out as perhaps the biggest surprise of the entire campaign. Watching them break their 16-year playoff drought wasn't just surprising—it felt like witnessing basketball history in the making. Their offensive rating of 118.6 points per 100 possessions wasn't just good; it was historically elite, ranking among the top offensive seasons in NBA history.

What made the Kings' success particularly fascinating was how their system elevated players who had previously been considered role players at best. Domantas Sabonis evolved into an offensive hub unlike anything we've seen from him before, averaging 19.1 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 7.3 assists while orchestrating their offense from the high post. His screening ability created opportunities that reminded me of a comment I once heard from Filipino basketball star Kobe Paras, who observed that "He made it easier for the guards to do their job kasi kapag nagbigay ng pick, nakadikit na 'yung bantay kaagad." This perfectly describes what Sabonis brought to Sacramento—his screens were so effective that defenders immediately stuck to the ball handler, creating chaos in defensive schemes and opening up driving lanes that simply didn't exist before.

While Sacramento soared, other teams crashed in spectacular fashion. The Brooklyn Nets' implosion felt like watching a slow-motion car crash from start to finish. They began the season with Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and what appeared to be championship aspirations, only to dismantle everything by the trade deadline. The numbers tell a brutal story—they went from championship favorites at +600 odds in preseason to essentially waving the white flag by February. As someone who's followed roster construction for years, I've never seen a team with so much talent voluntarily blow things up mid-season. The psychological impact on their role players must have been devastating, and it showed in their defensive efficiency, which plummeted from top-10 early in the season to bottom-five after the trades.

Individual performances provided their own share of shocks. Ja Morant's off-court issues derailing what should have been a career-defining season left me genuinely disappointed. Here was a player with generational talent, averaging 26.2 points and 8.1 assists through his first 53 games, potentially throwing it all away. Meanwhile, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's leap into superstardom caught even seasoned analysts like myself off guard. His 31.4 points per game on 51% shooting from a guard position felt like something out of video game statistics rather than real NBA production. I'd always believed he had All-Star potential, but this level of dominance so quickly? That surprised me.

The coaching carousel produced its own unexpected outcomes. Mike Brown winning Coach of the Year wasn't shocking in itself, but the magnitude of Sacramento's turnaround under his leadership certainly was. Having watched Brown's previous stints, I never imagined he could implement such an innovative offensive system. His ability to maximize Sabonis' playmaking while building an ecosystem where role players like Keegan Murray could thrive immediately as a rookie exceeded all reasonable expectations. On the flip side, the Milwaukee Bucks' early playoff exit despite having the league's best record at 58-24 felt like a monumental disappointment. Their defensive schemes looked outdated against Jimmy Butler, and I'm still puzzled by some of Coach Bud's rotational decisions during that Miami series.

Rookie performances followed a similar pattern of unpredictability. Paolo Banchero running away with Rookie of the Year seemed almost predetermined from opening night, but the emergence of Jalen Williams as a legitimate cornerstone for Oklahoma City's future caught many off guard, myself included. His two-way versatility and mature offensive game for a player who was selected 12th overall demonstrated how flawed pre-draft evaluations can be. Meanwhile, Jabari Smith Jr.'s early struggles before finding his rhythm after the All-Star break showed how development isn't always linear, even for top-three picks.

What struck me most about this season was how it challenged conventional wisdom about team building and player development. The success of Sacramento's offensive system built around Sabonis' unique skillset made me reconsider how much we overvalue traditional spacing in modern basketball. Their ability to create advantages through screening and cutting rather than relying solely on three-point shooting felt both refreshing and revolutionary. Similarly, the Lakers' mid-season turnaround after what appeared to be disastrous roster construction taught me never to count out a team with LeBron James, no matter how bleak things look.

As the season progressed, certain disappointments felt increasingly inevitable. The Phoenix Suns' championship aspirations crumbling under new ownership despite acquiring Kevin Durant highlighted how chemistry matters as much as talent. The Clippers' continued health struggles with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George missing critical moments yet again made me wonder if their championship window has permanently closed. And the Warriors' inability to find consistency away from home, finishing with an 11-30 road record despite their championship pedigree, felt like watching a dynasty slowly losing its grip.

Looking back, the 2022-23 season will stand out in my memory as one of the most unpredictable in recent history. The surprises and disappointments weren't just statistical anomalies—they represented fundamental shifts in how teams approach the game and how players develop. Sacramento's rise and Brooklyn's fall bookended a season that constantly defied expectations, reminding us why we love this game despite our best attempts to predict its outcomes. The emotional rollercoaster from opening night through the playoffs captured everything that makes basketball compelling—the human element that no analytics model can fully capture.